Prompt: During this visit, you should work with one or more groups of students if you haven't already, and observe your teacher doing the same. For this journal entry, describe your teacher's teaching style. What type of relationships with students does he or she nurture in his or her classes? How do students perceive that power is distributed in the classes? Does this vary within or across the different classes the teacher has? Cite examples from your observations to support your inferences. Remember to reflect on what style of teaching you will gravitate toward and the how you want to be perceived by your students.
Observations:
Today, Mrs. Cykert's chemistry students did their first inquiry activity of the year, an activity to determine the density of pennies, and to use the density to determine the composition of the pennies, observing whether the composition seems to vary with the mint date. The students were instructed to form groups of 3 of their own choosing (an evenly divisible number for the class that day) though there ended up being 3 different groups of two who wanted to work together. Mrs. Cykert instructed one of the pairs that they must split up and could each choose which of the other pairs to join unless they wanted her to choose for them. Once the groups were successfully formed, Mrs. Cykert distributed the handout for the activity, which is designed to be an initial inquiry for students, and as such is structured with some questions designed to activate background knowledge and a clear purpose for inquiry, leaving the methodology up to the students. As the students began to answer the questions and formulate their procedures, Mrs. Cykert and I circulated through the classroom, stopping with the groups, asking if they were doing well, and answering questions. When students had a general question along the lines of "how do we do this?" Mrs. Cykert would respond with her own question, guiding them back to the activity. She might ask them what the goal was, what the previous question concerned, or clarified the wording of the question that was written, but never gave the answer to them. I modeled my own actions on this behavior, and tried my best to help the students understand what they needed to do without just telling them what to do.
Mrs. Cykert seems to have a good working relationship with most of her students. There are a few students who appear to be the "typical" defiant, anti-authority teenagers who question most things she says or asks of them, but for the most part, her students seem to not only respect but like her as well. Having taught at the school for almost 10 years, she knows the families of many of her students, and often knows students' personally. This mostly comes from her desire to help her students achieve at high levels regardless of their financial or cultural background, while at the same time taking their home situations into consideration when interacting with her students. She makes an effort to ask students how they are feeling if they have been out of class for a few days or if they appear unwell. She comments on a student who was wearing a varsity soccer jacket, telling her it looked good on her -- a way of congratulating the girl for making the team. The students are not hesitant to ask questions, but at the same time they seem to put forth effort to complete the activity without expecting her to tell them exactly what to do.
Reflections:
I really identify with Mrs. Cykert's style of interacting with her students. She doesn't try to be their friend, yet she still makes an effort to know about their lives and what other obligations they may have. Her students are comfortable with her and her classroom is a safe environment for the students. I want to have this type of classroom when I teach. I want it to be somewhere the students are comfortable, free from bullying or outside pressures. I want my students to know that I care about them as people, but that my main goal is still to make sure they learn how to become responsible citizens who can think for themselves.
Class Topic: College Prep Chemistry, Penny Density Inquiry activity Grade: 10, 11, 12 Observed by: Sarah Evans
Observations:
Today, Mrs. Cykert's chemistry students did their first inquiry activity of the year, an activity to determine the density of pennies, and to use the density to determine the composition of the pennies, observing whether the composition seems to vary with the mint date. The students were instructed to form groups of 3 of their own choosing (an evenly divisible number for the class that day) though there ended up being 3 different groups of two who wanted to work together. Mrs. Cykert instructed one of the pairs that they must split up and could each choose which of the other pairs to join unless they wanted her to choose for them. Once the groups were successfully formed, Mrs. Cykert distributed the handout for the activity, which is designed to be an initial inquiry for students, and as such is structured with some questions designed to activate background knowledge and a clear purpose for inquiry, leaving the methodology up to the students. As the students began to answer the questions and formulate their procedures, Mrs. Cykert and I circulated through the classroom, stopping with the groups, asking if they were doing well, and answering questions. When students had a general question along the lines of "how do we do this?" Mrs. Cykert would respond with her own question, guiding them back to the activity. She might ask them what the goal was, what the previous question concerned, or clarified the wording of the question that was written, but never gave the answer to them. I modeled my own actions on this behavior, and tried my best to help the students understand what they needed to do without just telling them what to do.Mrs. Cykert seems to have a good working relationship with most of her students. There are a few students who appear to be the "typical" defiant, anti-authority teenagers who question most things she says or asks of them, but for the most part, her students seem to not only respect but like her as well. Having taught at the school for almost 10 years, she knows the families of many of her students, and often knows students' personally. This mostly comes from her desire to help her students achieve at high levels regardless of their financial or cultural background, while at the same time taking their home situations into consideration when interacting with her students. She makes an effort to ask students how they are feeling if they have been out of class for a few days or if they appear unwell. She comments on a student who was wearing a varsity soccer jacket, telling her it looked good on her -- a way of congratulating the girl for making the team. The students are not hesitant to ask questions, but at the same time they seem to put forth effort to complete the activity without expecting her to tell them exactly what to do.
Reflections:
I really identify with Mrs. Cykert's style of interacting with her students. She doesn't try to be their friend, yet she still makes an effort to know about their lives and what other obligations they may have. Her students are comfortable with her and her classroom is a safe environment for the students. I want to have this type of classroom when I teach. I want it to be somewhere the students are comfortable, free from bullying or outside pressures. I want my students to know that I care about them as people, but that my main goal is still to make sure they learn how to become responsible citizens who can think for themselves.Class Topic: College Prep Chemistry, Penny Density Inquiry activity
Grade: 10, 11, 12
Observed by: Sarah Evans